Effects of Chitin Doping on Common Materials
by Journal of Grimmology
Summary: This is a research proposal regarding the harvesting of the Grimm's bone like armor, and the application and effects of infusing it into structural materials.
1. Proposal

Emerson / Effects of Chitin Doping on Common Materials /

 **Thesis Proposal**

Tobias Emerson

M.S. Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Department of Grimmology

Atlas National Institute

 **Committee Chair(s)**

Professor Lapsing Souchong, Ph. D

Professor Jane Sigerson, Ph. D

 **Committee Member(s)**

Professor Forest Davenport, Ph. D

Professor Peter Archibald , Ph. D

06-13-2013

# # #

 **Abstract**

This project is inspired by recent advances in the field of Grimmology. Because the Grimm disintegrate shortly upon death, study of this material has been nearly impossible. It has only been recently that Dr. Sigerson developed an airtight chamber capable of observing the continued effects of the Grimm's body after death. Her experiments demonstrate that by compressing the chamber, the Grimm's gaseous state is revealed as a blackened swirl within the chamber. Amongst these materials is the hard bone like structure that grows from their bodies, a substance known as Chitin due to its relation to the exoskeleton of beetles. Through the use of centripetal forces, the Chitin particles are separated from the gaseous mixture, and suspend it in a binding agent. This Chitin salve is then applied to a variety of materials ranging from cotton to steel and tested against its untreated counterparts for significant changes to structural integrity and energy absorption. Chitin has been speculated to possess energy absorption properties. If the doped materials show more energy dissipation than their vanilla counterparts, The Chitin must dissipate the energy.

# # #

 **Introduction**

As is known in the scientific community, the Grimm are an anomaly that has proven difficult to study in depth. Any Grimm that are killed in the field undergo a theorized self-destruct sequence, in where the Grimm's body quickly aerosolizes and dissipates into the atmosphere. Even live Grimm who can be brought back for study quickly expire in their containment chambers. Little therefore is understood regarding the Grimm's biology, and what little advancements have been made in Grimmology have been painstakingly acquired over decades of opportunistic research.

Dr. Sigerson in 2010, proposed that the Grimm could not oppose the conservation laws, and conducted an experiment to contain these Grimm vapors. This was accomplished through the use of an airtight chamber which could house a captive Grimm until the Grimm was set to expire. Upon the Grimm's death, the aerosolized form was to fill the chamber, and was unable to escape through the airtight fit. The chamber's ceiling was equipped with a piston that could press upon the contained gas, increasing the density of air particles by compressing the overall volume. This experiment demonstrated that while aerosolized Grimm quickly dissipates in open air environments, the controlled chamber revealed a blackened sea of particles upon compression. Dr. Seagerson's experiment proved that the Grimm's mass while solvent, did not vanish upon death.

This is the first time Grimm material has been available for practical application. There is little known about the chemical properties of this material, meaning the mixture must be separated by centrifugal forces. The Schnee Dust Company has volunteered the use of their centrifuges for this experiment, in exchange for a portion of unused samples.

Credit must also be given to Dr. Montgomery for his methodology for experimental design. The concepts of randomization and blocking not only reduce the total costs for experiments, but provided a much more cohesive model. Without the techniques established in "Design and Analysis of Experiments" (4), conducting this experiment would prove more resource and time intensive than could be accomplished with the resources given.

# # #

 **Purpose**

The purpose of this research is to catalog the effects of Chitin doping on various materials, and the cost for manufacturing additional aerosolized Chitin. The hypothesis states that if the doped material shows a 5% or more reduction in force, the doping process must have a significant effect. If no such effects are noticed, or if the material shows less than a 5% difference, the hypothesis is rendered null.

# # #

 **Research Question(s)**

Can Grimm Chitin be separated from the gaseous Grimm compound?

What emulsion works best for binding Grimm Chitin?

What effects does Chitin Doping have on various materials?

What costs are associated with creating this material?

# # #

 **Importance**

This project focuses on applying Chitin to materials after they are made, but future projects could extend to infusing Chitin directly into base materials. Chitin could be an excellent conductor for excess Aura, which would make it an ideal material for clean energy generation. Metallic compounds infused with Chitin would also be more resistant to Aura based strikes, and would gain an inherent resistance to Dust related discharges, an effect that would improve combat effectiveness for all branches of the Atlas military.

# # #

 **Method of Approach**

In order to manufacture the Chitin salve, the Chitin must first be collected. Under the supervision of Dr. Sigerson, the Grimm will be contained within her patented vacuum chamber. Upon the creatures death, the remains will be collected into a pressurized canister that can be safely transported to the Schnee Dust Company, where it will be run through their centrifuges. The heavier Chitin substance will precipitate to the edges of the centrifuge, and will be pulled out and stored in a second pressure canister capable of holding the material. Once the first cycle is completed, the purer substance is run through once again, and more of the undesirable contents are filtered out. This process is repeated until a specimen containing 99% Chitin is collected.

Since the Chitin will be in limited supply, a minimal amount of tests can be conducted. Three emulsion agents have been chosen to be mixed with the Chitin, each chosen for their ease of use and their capacity for long term storage. The first is a base solvent commonly used in spray paints. This compound is readily available through spray paint companies for cheap. This material is highly toxic however, and it is not known whether or not the Chitin will survive long term storage in this form. The second compound is a thicker acrylic base used for traditional painting. It share many downsides with its spray paint alternative, but the thicker paint will be more likely to avoid losing Chitin to the outside air, once the concoction is exposed. Finally, there is a sticky resin that comes from Duster trees which while difficult to apply, is made from naturally occurring compounds that would not stifle the long term survivability of the cells. The spray paint will be handled by a local company who specializes in the craft, as their pressure chambers are ideal for handling the Chitin. The other two substances will be treated at the Institutes airtight chamber, in case of any potential leaks. The Chitin will be slowly released through a pressure hose in the container as the heated paint and sap is stirred into a thin liquid. Each of these solutions will receive a third of the Chitin, ensuring that the doped solution has the maximum chance of yielding a significant effect, and to not bias any measurements with uneven portions.

With the salves created, a selection of materials is collected for testing. These include steel, cast iron, duster wood, rubber, and cotton sheet. Glass was considered for testing, but due to safety concerns will be omitted. 30 1x1 inch squares are produced for each of these materials, three serving as the untreated control for each factor tested. The remaining 27 will be split into groups of 9, and each group will be doped with a different solution. Each test will therefore have three replicates to ensure a minimal pure error. Once the salves have dried on each of the materials, the baseline tests are conducted for compression, point loads, and energy absorption.

Compressive loads will be measured through the use of Force Meters placed beneath the material. The device itself can measure pressure differences up to 0.3% of the total load. A large press is given increasing pressure until the subject breaks, the increase of force measured over time, with marks to note structural failure at specific moments. The three doped solutions are compared against the baseline material to see if any changing effects occur.

After that comes shock loads. A pressure sensor is placed on a supporting beam that will hold the pane of material in pace. The striking force will be a swinging pendulum that can be outfitted with an increasing amount of weight, and dropped from various extremities of angles. By keeping track of the weight and angle of drop, the force acting on the plate can be calculated, and compared against the readings in the pressure sensor. The weight is increased between runs, until the material breaks, giving a maximum thresh hold.

Finally comes the Aura test. A similar set up is used for this as for the shock loads, only these measurements are far more accurate. The sensors to measure Aura have been tried and tested in the Vytal Festival and have a proven track record. It is with only a slight modification that the code can be modified from the traditional percentage score, to a true measurement given in Auric Thaums. For this experiment, a participant with no aura training will strike a panel to determine the baseline. A trained hunter from the academy is then to practice striking the pad until they can get a consistent reading from the pressure sensor, and from the Auraometer. The pad is then replaced with a slab of the material desired for testing, and the hunter delivers three good punches of similar strength. The hunters according to their testimony are not worried about flying debris, as their Aura will protect them from any hazards that might occur during testing. Each reading from the pressure transducer is cataloged and compared against the Aura meter readouts. A complete model will be compiled once all data points are accounted for.

# # #

 **Work Plan**

 **August**

1\. Capture of Grimm Subjects and Collection of Aerosolized Materials.

 **October**

2\. Centrifuge Runs for Purified Chitin.

3\. Meet with committee

 **November**

4\. Mixing with Potential Emulsions

5\. Data Entry

6\. Submit abstract for professional conference paper or poster presentation

7\. Console with Spraypainting Company

 **December**

7\. Data Entry

8\. Submit salve for test line production

9\. Begin thesis draft.

 **January - March**

10\. Data analysis and write-ups

11\. Conduct Stress Tests

12\. Begin writing thesis draft

13\. Brown bag presentation to department

 **April**

14\. Continue writing thesis and revise when necessary

15\. Submit draft to committee for review

 **May**

16\. Final draft complete by end of May with committee revisions

# # #

 **Budget**

 **Line Item**

 **Amount**

Rental of Schee Centrifuge and Spraypainting Facilities, Student Wages

2,000

Airtight Grimm Containment (Transport, Maintenance, Safety Training)

5,000

Materials (Emulsions, Wood, Metal Plating)

1,000

 **Total**

8,000

# # #

 **References**

1) Sigerson, Jane S. "Preservation of Grimm Beyond Death." Journal of Grimmology 34.6 (2010): 168-234. Print.

2) Schnee, Winter. Dust: The History of the Schnee Company and Its Impact on the World. Atlas: Penguin, 2010. Print.

3) Oobleck, Bartholomew. "A Grimm Account: A Hunter's Perspective on Mankinds Most Deadly Foe." Vytal Naturalist 30.6 (2002): 50-165. Print.

4) Bortelo, Flavio. "Grimm Tidings! 10 Great Tips to Prepare for the Grimm Apocalypse!" The Grimm Is Nigh! Flavio Bortelo, Mar.-Apr. 2012. Web.

5) Montgomery, Douglas C. Design and Analysis of Experiments. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, 2013. Print.

6) Hibbeler, R. C. Mechanics of Materials. 6th ed. Upper Saddle River, 1997. Print.

 **Glossary**

Duster Tree – More commonly known as the Christmas Tree, it's a conifer that grows in cold rocky climates. This tree pulls Dust through its roots and stores it in sap pockets just beneath the bark. The tree is easy to spot with its glittering pine needles and soft thrumming glow.

Chitin – A term describing the exoskeleton of insects like cockroaches and beetles. For the sake of this paper, it refers exclusively to the Grimm's bone like plate atop their skin.

PROOF COPY - Not for distribution


	2. Title

**Effects of Chitin Doping on Common Materials**

By: Tobias Emerson

B.S December 2010, Atlas National Institute

A Thesis Submitted to Atlas Academy in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Degree of

MASTER OF SCIENCE

GRIMMOLOGY  
ATLAS NATIONAL INSTITUTE

August 2013

Approved by:

Dr. Jane Sigerson

Dr. Peter Archibald

Dr. Forest Davenport


	3. Acknowledgements

To my mentor Dr. Sigerson, for her guidance and patience. It was with her help I got past problems that might have stalled me for months. I thank the Hunters who put their lives on the line to make such experiments possible. I only hope that our findings can repay them in kind. My friend and fellow colleague Gloria Hawthorne and her work alongside my own helped to solidify the theories presented in this document and create a strong foundation for others to build on. Finally I must thank my family and my friends, for without them, I might never have mustered the courage to pursue my dreams, and without whom this paper might never have happened.

 **Authors Note:** For all those interested in seeing this finished, I wanted to post this little update to let you know that the project is underway. The rough draft is already finished, and editing is underway, but I'm still working out mathematics behind the tests and the tabulated data. Now the thesis is a document that needs to be presented whole, so this will be the last update until the paper is finished. It might take some time, as I'm writing another thesis alongside, so be sure to add it to the alert if you want to see the completed story.


	4. Abstract

**Abstract**

The Grimm throughout human history have proven to be the deadliest creatures mankind has ever faced. There was a time when they nearly drove humanity to extinction, and yet very little is known about these forces of nature. Hunters over the centuries, have documented their observations of the Grimm. These recollections form the foundation for the discipline of Grimmology. Progressing beyond conjecture however has proven a tedious undertaking, because the Grimm themselves leave nothing behind after they expire. Upon death, and even shortly after being removed from their home environment, any Grimm will soon evaporate, leaving no trace for Grimmologists to study. Only recently has the techniques to counter this aerosolization process been developed, and it is these techniques that allow of the examination of the materials which compose a Grimm's form.

The experiments performed by this thesis will focus specifically on the bone like substance which coat's the Grimm's face and body. This "Chitin" substance is speculated to be capable of absorbing Aura and converting it into energy to sustain the host body. This project seeks to conduct a close examination of this material under controlled circumstances. Does Chitin truly have the capacity to absorb and disperse Aura, and what possible applications can this newly collected substance be used for?


	5. Literature Review

**Literature Review**

The idea of Chitin being possessing Aura absorption properties was first speculated over 250 years ago by the Hunter Cadium Bismuth (3). In his journals, he details long time observations of Grimm organisms, and came to understand that for the multitude of weeks he observed them, Grimm survived long after other animals would perish to malnutrition. In fact, the little conflict Grimm might have with local wildlife was more rooted in territorial disputes than the need for sustenance. His later entries speculate that the Grimm could not survive without a source of energy that must sustain them. He speculated this energy to come from some negative miasma from an unseen god like figure.

George Aegean remarked on the relation of size of Grimm to proximity to sources of flora and fauna. Larger Grimm tend to live in or around places with a flourishing ecosystem, while more desolate locations are home to smaller Grimm.

More recent testimonies have also spoken of a strange sinking feeling when in close proximity to the Grimm. Bartholomew Oobleck believes this sensation is more than nerves. He states in his testimony that there are significant differences between the power of practice swings and swings against real Grimm. "You would only notice it at the moment of impact, but it feels…softer, more like a playful punch than a solid blow."(Oobleck, 2)

This statement, and many others from recorded huntresses, is somewhat vague as to the origin of this sinking sensation. Ten of these accounts were tracked down, and were pressed for more details on when and how this sensation came on, and when it was felt most strongly. When pressed with these questions, the dampened blows tended towards the head where the Chitin is thickest.

Gloria Hawthorne has also conducted a study alongside this one to further analyze the various microstructures of the Grimm's base components. It is from her that this paper can confidently state that the Chitin is structured much like an organic transitional metal. It ensnares oncoming Aura and pulls it deeper to conversion cells beneath the surface, which transform it into more useful forms of energy. (Hawthorne, 7)


	6. Nomenclature

**Nomenclature**  
F (Force)  
q (Aura Charge)  
qo (Observer Charge)  
A(Aura Field)  
S(Surface Area)  
P(Pressure)  
r (radius of moment arm/distance from Aura Center)  
ke = 8.99*10^9 (Boltzmann Constant)  
muo = 4*pi*10^-7 (Permeability of Free Space Constant)  
eta (Efficiency)


	7. Theory

**Theory**

Aura

Aura is a form of energy unique to living things, with the exception of any species belonging to the Grimm family, who serve as the exception to this rule. It at its most basic function, creates a barrier of light around the living entity, providing a passive force which counteracts incoming forces. For most living things, the force generated by Aura is so minor as to hardly be noticed, but humans in particular have pushed this power source to incredible extremes. In order to determine if the Grimm can survive on this energy source, it is important to quantify this unique phenomenon.

In order to simplify the model, it is assumed that the output of Aura is constant across all the surface area of a living creature. There are slight variations based on height, diet, and a number of unquantifiable factors, but this is a good assumption for most cases. This Aura is felt as a pressure, which is defined in physics as the force acting on a body divided by the surface area the force acts upon.

P = F/S

The force can easily be solved with the data collected from Aurameters. The sensors are traditionally circular disks for a predetermined surface area that measure the pressure exuded by a person's Aura output.

F(aura) = P*S

This auric force propagates in all directions from the source as a series of various frequencies of light. This creates a field of energy called an "Aura Field". Unlike light which relies on ionized electric and magnetic fields, Aura is a radiation that produces a physical force. The term for the Aura field can be demonstrated thusly.

F(Aura) = A = ke*q/r^2

The term ke is a proportionality constant, and r represents the distance from the observer to the Aura source. The best way to describe "q" is to consider it as an "Aura potential" term. The larger the "q" value is, the more force a person's Aura is capable of generating. This potential can be solved with the data collected from Aurometers and knowledge of the distance.

q = F(aura)*r^2/ke

Most humans can be shown to have about the same value of Aura potential, which makes sense considering the forces at play. If two people, two Aura sources, stand close together, their Aura will clash with equal force, but in opposing directions. The two forces would cancel each other out, and any small forces that diverge are hardly noticeable.

This holds true for almost every living creature, with the exception of the Grimm, who possess no aura potential, and thus do not produce Aura force. This leaves the Grimm with a non-zero net Aura that bombards them from all directions. The intensity of this Auric radiation "I" is a term well known for traveling light waves, and since Aura is a form of light, the equation can be applied in this instance.

I = A^2/(2*muo*c)

This intensity is then collected by the surface layer of Chitin and transformed into an energy source that fulfills the Grimm's needs. Assuming a perfect transfer of power, the equation is simply the intensity of the Aura multiplied by the surface area of the Chitin plate.

P = I*S

Of course in reality a portion of the stored energy must be lost as waste heat in the conversion process. This inefficiency must be factored in as it affects how much power the Grimm needs to sustain itself by increasing the amount of power required.

P(required) = eta*P = eta*I*S

Grimm Power Demands

Now to determine how much power would be required for a Grimm to survive for a specific period of time. Because it is the simplest comparison, let's compare the Ursa to its similar cousin, the black bear. The black bear will normally consume about 5000-8000 calories a day. The calories here are misleading, as each food calorie is equivalent to 1000 standard calories. A standard calorie is in international units, 4.184 joules of energy. Because the Ursa requires carrying the heavy metal plate, and is much heavier than its black bear cousin, we will hold its calorie needs at the maximum value of this sliding scale.

8000 Cal = 8*10^6 cal = 3.3472 *10^7 Joules

This is how many Joules of energy an Ursa would need to survive per day. This in turn leads to the calculation of the power required.

P(required) = 387 Watts

In order for an Ursa to remain healthy, it must consume 387 Joules worth of power every second from the surrounding Aura. An efficiency of 10 percent would mean it must consume ten times that, or 3,870 Joules every second!

Is such a large amount of energy available in the wild? Hunters have been recorded to emit over 3000 newtons worth of force, which from our power calculations could satisfy a Grimm in just under 4 hours, even with a meager ten percent efficiency. Natural flora and fauna however, produce far smaller quantities of Aura, and usually output around 10 newtons of Aura for small animals, and 150 newtons for larger animals and trees. This means that even with a worst case scenario efficiency, a Grimm only needs around 60-70 large trees in an area to satisfy its base needs. This efficiency is only expected to go up once testing begins.

This section is simply to illustrate that the Grimm in question will be exposed to an ample supply of Aura by which to harvest. All this energy as well is simply excess power vented naturally off normal living creatures, so it's feasting is not harmful to other organisms around it. This would allow the creature to live safely without fear of reprisal from both predators and starvation.

Power Conversion

How does the Grimm harness this energy? Much of this field still needs to be fleshed out, and it is hoped that this project will help to refine the knowledge of this subject. A fellow student Gloria Hawthorne, has taken up the study of the cellular structure of the Chitin Plating, and has come up with an initial hypothesis (Hawthorne). The bone plating shares similar properties with conductive metals. When Aura strikes the bone plating, the base particles within the cells are excited, and ride across the deeper cells beneath the surface. Beneath the hard absorbent surface is a converter cell that transforms this pulse of energy into more useful forms. How this conversion works is still a mystery, as this sort of behavior is not replicated by any other strain of creature currently known.

For what this thesis will cover, the absorption properties can be calculated from the power term. In controlled environments, only one target will be expending Aura, and this Aura can be easily tracked through the Aura monitors mentioned in the proposal. This allows for the calculation of the Aura field, and the resulting power drawn. This power allows for the creation of a model, and this model is compared against the stress tests to determine if the Chitin Doped plating will stand up to large amounts of pressure.

Design of Experiments/ Response Surface Methodology

Design of Experiments and response surface methodologies are grounded in statistical foundations and aid an experimenter in gaining useful information from testing. The techniques founded by Montgomery (10) create a statistically robust picture of a design space, and allow for a higher clarity to results with less tests than the traditional One Factor At a Time (OFAT) tests.

Three principles are required to maintain an effective design; replication, randomization, and blocking. Replication is a repetition of the basic experiment, in order to compare responses. This allows for the estimation of pure error, and ensures that the results gathered in the test can be replicated by others in the scientific community.

To understand the importance of randomization, its important to know what "nuisance factors" are. Nuisance factors are elements that affect the response but are not easily controlled by the experimenter. Examples of these are humidity in the air, temperature, vibrations in the instruments, trace elements in gas compositions. These nuisance factors might generate a response that changes over time, and it is this problem that makes randomization important. By running the factors at random points, the possibility of a trend of nuisance factors shifting the response over time is drastically reduced, reducing noise and making the data more robust.

Blocking is a technique in which potential nuisance factors are placed into separate groups. A example of this would be a test on the performance of an aircraft. Two pilots help to conduct the tests, Pilot A and Pilot B. Pilot A has more experience that Pilot B, and that might show as better performance over his runs. To ensure that pilot experience doesn't skew the final results, the tests are put into separate blocks for each pilot, in order to see the effects of the pilot skill more clearly on analysis.

Two factors, binding material, and chitin/material ratio, are being tested for three responses, Force, Aura, and Displacement. A 22 full factorial design with 2 centers and a full replicate, will be conducted on each material associated with this test. A total of 183 runs are needed for all tests, the details of which are explained in further detail in the "Experiment" section.

Stress Test

The purpose of the stress test is to determine if non Aura forces will yield a significant difference in performance. This test involves the use of a rotating pendulum with a set weight of uniform density mounted at the end point. The forces created by this weight can be calculated using torque equations.

Torque = Fxr = F*r*sin(theta)

The radius will not be modified for ease of testing, but by changing the starting inclination of the

Pendulum. The weight can also be increased to provide more gravitational force.

F = m*g*cos(theta)


	8. Choice of Grimm

**Choice of Grimm**

Ideally this test would be conducted with a respect to different species of Grimm to determine if the Chitin on other Grimm proves more effective when compared against other species. Due to a lack of resources, the results from one stain of Grimm will be assumed to be identical to other species. In order to remove the potential for cross species contamination, only a single species will be tested.

For this project, a lot of Chitin is needed, so a Grimm strain that possesses large densities of the substance would be ideal. The creature must also be capable of being housed within Dr. Sigerson's vacuum chamber, and must not be strong enough to escape upon being placed inside. This section goes into detail about specific strains of Grimm, and the reasons behind choosing particular strains above others for the purposes of this examination.

Beowolf

The Beowolf is considered one of the more common strains in the Grimm family. These are some of the smaller Grimm encountered in the wilds, and these measure up to six feet when standing fully erect. Because of their pack mentality, these are some of the easiest for hunters to find and capture en mass, but the amount of Chitin on these specimens is quite sparse when compared to other strains.

Ursa

The Ursa tends to be found in cooler northern climates and thick jungles. This massive strain possesses far more Chitin than its Beowolf cousin and is known to develop more over time. Many older strains often called "Ursa Majors" develop long conical spikes from their backs. This strain lives quite close to the academy, and would make transport and containment simpler than the Beowolf with more Chitin per subject. Unlike the Beowolf however, Ursa tend to hunt in small numbers, which combined with their strength, makes it difficult for Hunters to capture them.

Creep

The creep is a strain of Grimm uniquely characterized for its heavy plated head and for its uniquely bipedal form. The Chitin that covers the beast's head is quite thick, an adaptation that combined with the stumpy hind legs, allows for optimal ramming of targets. They are only just short of the Beowolf in terms of population density. Of course the design of the creature makes it difficult to contain the specimen, as repeated ramming might cause a breach in the chamber.

King Taijitu

The Taijitu is best described as a two headed serpent, and proves to be one of the more elusive and difficult to combat Grimm strains yet encountered. They tend to live in dark secluded areas like caves and forests, and have proven to show enough mental capacity to plan ambushes. The Taijitu's body is as thick as a human is tall, and it can strike instantaneously from a distance of ten meters. Modern firearms have made combat against these devilish creatures much easier, but for the sake of hunter safety, other options should be considered for initial testing.

Nevermore

The Nevermore is even larger than the Taijitu, and proves even more evasive. This strain of Grimm prefers to rest on large mountaintops, preferably ones with large stretches of open plain. This is because the Nevermore's primary defense is the feathers under its wings, which it can fire like spears at exposed targets. This ranged advantage makes approaching a Nevermore very dangerous. Few cases have been reported of a successful Nevermore kill, and these often come from Hunters who spend weeks occupying its resting nest. Even the latest aircraft in the Atlas military has difficulty dealing with the maneuverability of a Nevermore in a dogfight, and a flock of Nevermores can take down a wing of fighters.

The killing of Nevermores is a tremendous undertaking, and the sheer difficulty of the task makes it too risky to reliably collect Chitin from this strain of Grimm.

Borbatusk

Borbatusk are a strain of Grimm that closely resembles the domesticated pig. By and large this strain has the most densely plated Chitin amongst all the strains. This strain is most often located in warmer climates down south, which means that the specimens will have to be transported back to the Institute without expiring. Borbatusks also suffer from the same problem with containment the Creeps do. They rely a lot on their tusks for ramming, which means they are safer in containment than the Creep. While this is an ideal candidate for its plating, the factor of safety in its containment is of concern.

Deathstalker

The Deathstalker is perhaps the rarest of the strains currently recorded. These scorpion like Grimm are larger than automobiles, and their top side is covered with a thick Chitin plate. It is one of the Grimm known to remain dormant for long periods of time, which makes sense given the amount of energy it would be able to collect. Containing one of these specimens however, is difficult due to its size, and it is tough to locate them. These are squad level threats, and asking for the containment of one is also a difficult choice, especially with other more easily contained Grimm to choose from.

As of the writing of this thesis, these are the only strains of Grimm yet archived. This experiment ultimately decided to go with the Ursa strain for its Chitin experiments. The Ursa is common in the cold climates of Atlas, and they often travel in small packs, making for easier collection. This test will stick to the minor variant of the Ursa however, as it minimizes the amount of risk associated with both transporting the subject, and containing it.


	9. Methodology

**Methodology**

Capture, Transport, Containment

The subjects that arrive for testing are captured in the wild and transported as quickly as can be managed. Again this experiment begins under the assumption that the Grimm are sustained by Aura, and so it was requested that a Hunter remain within close proximity of the Grimm specimens during the transport to the facility. The Hunter was also requested to equip a breathing mask. Even with all precautions, the Grimm might perish, and the gaseous particles could make its way into the Hunter's lungs without filtration. There have been no recorded cases of illness from this, but prolonged exposure in closed areas could prove detrimental to the Huntsman's health.

Upon arrival at the facility, another Hunter was brought in to "feed" the Grimm while the remaining squadron escorted the Grimm with restraints on the neck and all four limbs. Eight hunters were employed to ensure full passivity. The vacuum chamber that was their destination, is a stainless steel cylindrical tube that spans 12 feet in diameter and is a solid 12 feet in length. Rubber tubes line any opening inside the chamber, a material that is elastic enough to retain its shape upon compression, but pliable enough to fill any small pockets that might be left upon closing the chamber door. The door itself is a solid three inches of stainless steel, and the outer walls are just as thick. This in addition to the Ursa's lack of mobility within the chamber, ensure the Grimm cannot break free during a struggle.

Subject Termination

With the Ursa safely contained within the chamber, the locks were fastened in place. Here the somewhat sensitive subject of the Grimm's termination, must be addressed. The Grimm could be killed with a single shot from a high powered rifle and ensure a painless death, but for that the lid to the vacuum chamber had to be open for the rifle, and quickly sealed off as the aerosolization process would set in. This would serve to dilute the potential Chitin, as well as expose hunters and personnel to the particles in the open air. This would also cause damage to the vacuum chamber itself.

Much like how a pet is put to sleep, a lethal injection could be administered. The Ursa would drift to sleep within the chamber and be unaware of its final moments. Despite the danger, a veterinarian volunteered to administer the injection. The euthanizing agent had little effect, and the Ursa became even more fearsome.

The chamber could also be filled with an anesthetizing agent like nitrous oxide. The outgoing pipes are built to extract air from the device, but the pump could be reversed to inject the gas. This method also proved to have little effect on the Ursa's state of mind.

With all other options considered, the death that would be safest for the staff and for preserving the base components is asphyxiation. The air is, drained from the container, and all personnel retreat to safety in case of a potential breech. It is unsure whether or not the Grimm would perish from lack of air, or lack of Aura first. The end result is the same. It must be stressed that this was the only method to keep the staff safe, and that it is wished to discover a more humane way of terminating the Grimm in a controlled environment.

Collection of Materials

Once the Grimm has been terminated, the aerosolization process begins, and the base particles spread to fill the chamber in a uniform fashion. This contained essence is transferred by removing the air from inside the chamber and placing it into a pressurized side canister that holds the Grimm's essence for proper storage.

Centrifuge

With the specimen contained, the next step was to separate the desired material from the surrounding air. At the time of this paper there are no chemical means by which this can be conducted. The molecular structure must be known before it can be tested, and such tests will not come for some time still. In light of this, it was decided to use a centrifuge to separate the particles through centrifugal acceleration.

The Schnee Dust Company employs these devices and keeps them well maintained. In their work, it is used to separate the Dust particles from the much heavier raw ore that it is mined from. This allows for a much purer sample of Dust to be collected and distributed into the next stage of development. For the purposes of this experiment, the heavier material will be the substance filtered out instead, as the Chitin in molecular analysis has proven the densest of the base components.

Little modification was required for use of the centrifuge. The centrifuge itself was sealed so as not to let Dust particles escape, and it works just as effectively on the base components in the pressure canisters. The pressure canister is mounted at the center spoke of the centrifuge and a small timing device was added to the top and left. The timer was set for 5 minutes in order to allow for ample time for sealing the centrifuge before firing. Once that was completed, the timer would trigger a moment arm that would push open the gas canister, so that it would remain in an air tight environment during the transfer. Once a sufficient amount of particles had left the chamber, the centrifuge was turned on, and left to rotate for several minutes.

It is clear from the pictures provided that the whitish substance begins to precipitate to the edges of the chamber as the device is spinning. A small slit can be opened in the centrifuge that will allow the vaporous heavy material to escape from the cycle into a second pressurized canister that will contain it. Of course a difficulty that arose during the execution of the experiment was that there was no way to collect the components that remained within the chamber. This required several more runs, filtering the next heaviest material to the bottom and separating it into another canister. These specimens are not pure, but they are not the focus of this research, and there were only a finite number of runs possible with the Schnee equipment.

Once the Chitin canister was collected, it had to be run through the machine again. Base materials would fall in with the Chitin during the filtration, and leave an impure substance. While an exact percentage cannot be given, a visual interpretation placed it at 50% chitin within the chamber. Successive centrifuges further increased the purity of the substance, until after seven runs, the material inside the pressure canister was almost completely Chitin. The purification took a full week to reach the optimal result, and the other canisters were not filtered.

Binding Agents

Chitin has no known chemical adhesives that could be employed in binding the material together. This proves to be a significant problem, for while the Chitin remains secure within the pressure canisters, it will escape into the atmosphere the moment the tank is opened. In order to counteract this problem, an emulsion must be found that will bind it to both the bone and to the solvent compound.

The first emulsion is a natural sap that is harvested from Duster trees. These trees have adapted to the rich Dust fields in the northern tundra, and use their root systems to extract energy from them, in a similar manner as proposed for the Chitin in this paper. The tree will also pull Dust through its root system and store it in large globs of a carbon glucose compound. This keeps the energy producing Dust protected from the outside air, even if the outer bark should be stripped away.

While this material would not chemically bind with the Chitin in question, it would contain it in a similar manner to the way it contains Dust. This would allow the Chitin to be housed in an organic shell, which would help to preserve its cellular life by keeping it safe from potentially toxic elements. The problem with the sap is its tendency to adhere to itself. The Chitin particles are only just large enough to be seen, and the sap has a tendency to stick to itself. This in conjunction to the high viscosity of the fluid, makes it difficult to stir and even more difficult to convert into an aerosolized propellant.

If the vitality of the Chitin is not an issue, then a base paint would also work well to contain the Chitin. The material can be easily pressurized and work as an aerosol spray. The Chitin might not survive containment in a pressurized toxic environment. Perhaps the simplest to implement in mass production, but with the potential of destroying the sample outright.

Infusion Process

As stated in the previous section, Duster sap is a cheap and efficient method for containing Chitin particles, but is far too viscous to serve as a proper binding agent. To that end, the viscosity needs to be reduced, which can be accomplished with a simple use of a broiler pot. Like most sugars, the bonds between the molecules will break apart given enough heat, and the sap can be broken down into a fine syrup, or even a runny liquid.

A large tub of the material is placed under medium heat and left to break down, constantly stirred so as not to burn the contents. Of course the Grimm Chitin can't simply be added like you might pour flour, as the Chitin is lighter than air on its own. The condensation of particles helps with this somewhat, as the particles were shown to start binding back together in their short stay inside the pressure canister. The Chitin is then fed through a feeding tube that is placed inside the stirred syrup and is turned to be opened at a minimal proportion. Stirring constantly here is a necessity, as the particles must be evenly distributed within the concoction for consistent testing. There is a special lid made just for this as well, as not all the Chitin might be contained within the mixture and might waft out from the pot. The lid will allow water to condense with the captured particles, and the weight of the water will drip the particles back into the basin.

Three batches of the substance were made, each with a varying concentration of Chitin. One was made without Chitin to serve as a base, while another was estimated to house 40% of its volume as Chitin. A third batch was created with 20% Chitin as a means to test the centers of the experimental model. A small amount of citrus acid was introduced into the mixture to ensure the liquid sap would remain a liquid once cooled back to room temperature.

The application into the paint base took a similar approach to Duster sap with a few less steps. The material did not need to be heated, and no extra ingredients were needed to complicate the mixture. Each of these batches were made with the same concentrations as the Duster sap, but the process was much quicker and the substance less viscous than its sap equivalent.

Materials

Wood, Steel, Cotton, Glass, Carbon Fiber, and Plastic were selected as candidates for initial testing. Wood serves as a great material for this substance, as the wood itself is able to absorb moisture once the bark is removed. This allows the Chitin to get deeper into the surface than it would with metal components, which means it is more likely to last long term in comparison to the metallic counterpart.

Metal on the other hand is much stronger in terms of compression and shock loads, and is very flexible. The frosting will need to be tested at high speeds to ensure it still sticks properly. Metal lasts longer than wood though and does not rot. It's also ideal as that is the composition used in modern ships and weapons, and so the compound would integrate far easier if metal is a good candidate. A way to make this work is to apply a thin wax coating overtop the mixture, but this comes at the downside that the material will crack upon impact and flake off on high speed aircraft.

Cotton is potentially useful in sails and rigging on ships, but there was hesitation on implementing this test as the material is potentially toxic to humans. It would not be advised to place this in clothing for example until a more detailed analysis of the subject is completed.

Duster tree planks work for much the same reasons as the Duster sap does. The wood has shown unique properties for energy absorption, and is more likely to facilitate the Chitin's natural purpose. The wood can spread energy through small Dust particles in the surface. Such a process has already been accomplished for fusing Dust with metal, however the Dust can be known to overload and cause destructive results when contained within a material as inflexible and non-receptive to Aura as metal is.

Glass is a material that will not be used for the test. The natural brittleness of glass might be reinforced through application of Chitin, but a Huntress must be the one to apply Aura tests. In the interests of subject safety, the glass was removed as a potential candidate. For that a see through plastic is used. The test will cover the surface in the hardened frosting in order to determine the maximum effect on the device. For practical purposes, the frosting would not cover up the entirety of the plastic facing, but the purposes of this test is to see if the Chitin salve has any significant effect, to see if perhaps spotted application can be considered.

Application to Materials

Each material will be tested based on factors of Chitin concentration, and bonding material. A 22 Factorial design is implemented with two centers to check for model curvature. This means that each test only requires a total of six runs per test. In order to mitigate the potential for pure error, each material will undergo twelve runs, rather than the minimal six.

In addition to the treated plates, three will be set aside as a control. The stress strain relationships are well documented for these materials, so they serve as a check to ensure that equipment is working as it should, and to see any potential fluxuations from documented values due to manufacturing or other nuisance factors.

The total number of runs required to create a fully realized model are listed below.

Intended Purpose

Panels per Material * Materials = Panels Needed

Control

3

Compression Test

12*5 = 60

Stress Test

12*5 = 60

Aura Test

12*5 = 60

Total

183

A total of 183 runs are required for an accurate and complete model for all common materials. Based on the total Chitin extracted from the Ursa, a total of 213 tests are theoretically possible, given an average of concentrations. This gives 30 remaining possible tests, which will serve as a buffer in case testing provides unsatisfactory results.

Another point of note is that each test is estimated to take ten minutes to check equipment, set up plates, initiate testing, and find results. This puts the total testing time to 1830 minutes or 30 hours and 30 minutes. Anticipated time per day is placed at 7 hours. This puts testing over a period of five days. In order to ensure that changes in nuisance factors doesn't skew final results, blocking will be employed to separate tests into days tested.

Each of these panels will be 1x1 inch squares of plate that will be applied with the salve in question. Once the painting is finished, these materials are left to sit for an hour in order to ensure that any trace Aura within the room is allowed to dissipate.


	10. Experiments

**Experiments**

Control

The control serves as the basis for comparison on the experiment. Since all these squares are made from the same plank/sheet of material, they will have similar characteristics. The stress and compression tests for each of these materials is well documented, and can be used as a reference. However, manufacturing can cause differences from the average values listed in sources, so the control is placed through the same tests as the rest. If it does differ from the sources, that deviation is potential noise in the experiment, and can be factored out when moving forward with the rest of the tests.

Compression Test

With the bar set for the potential noise of the experiment, the main tests can be conducted. The plate is clamped between two pillars that hold the plate aloft. From there, a steel wire is bundled around the plate with a hook that can hold a bag that contains a series of weights. Weights can then be added in five, one, or half pound increments, until the metal starts to bend, at which point the material has hit the yielding stress point and is permanently altered. The amount of weight withstood is recorded and the next plate is placed into position.

Once the runs are completed, the sensors are recalibrated and the set up double checked for potential errors before the next run.

Stress Test

In this test, the plate is held against a vertical plate that will be the receiving end of an arching pendulum. The pendulum's striking force can be adjusted by increasing the striking weight and by increasing the starting angle. These values can be calculated on a theoretical basis, and the readings from the control will tell of any noise that might cause it to deviate from the result. The material is tested with increasing weight or increasing angles of attack, until the material endures yielding stresses and is permanently warped. Marks on the weight and angles are taken into note and compared against theoretical calculations and control.

Like the compression tests, the stress will have all its machinery reexamined after three runs to ensure a minimal pure error in the experimentation.

Aura Test

The final and perhaps the most difficult to set up is the Aura test. This is a test that can suffer from a tremendous amount of noise, as the team members conducting the experiment naturally produce relatively small amounts of Aura. It is therefore imperative that each person who comes into contact with the experiment is to record their times around the area and to interfere with the making of material as little as possible. This ensures the team that a certain amount of Aura was available for the Chitin to absorb, based off the theoretical calculations. To ensure that the material is relatively Aura free, the plates dedicated to its usage are left for a few days in isolation for the Chitin to bleed out any trace Aura.

This done, the plates that hold the material are laid out against a six inch thick cube of steel, as specified by the Hunter's guild regarding testing for Aura strength. Thankfully the Hunter's guild has provided a plate suitable for this task for the benefit of this test. The hunter who has elected to help with this experiment, is to wear a Auraometer at all times, and is to conserve their output to a bare minimum until such a time as the experiment is to begin.

In order to prevent contamination from other Auras, the plates upon decontamination, thick rubber suits were worn to minimize the Aura output, and subjects with low Aura readings were to set up the plates. Once the plates were set up, the Aura testing could begin, and the hunter volunteer is allowed to enter the chamber proper. At this time, a small taped area is placed for the Hunter to stand. The hunter in question was also trained to release a consistent level of Aura over a period of a few minutes.

As is stated above, the Aura field that emits from a target generates a physical pressure upon a potential surface. The surface area of the flat plates is known, which means a force gauge can be fitted upon the plate to measure the force pressing against it. Unlike the previous examples however, the material does not need to be tested to its breaking point. The Aura output is factored into the calculations and the force on the control plate is monitored over five minutes to determine any deviations.

Once this is completed, the treated materials are placed upon the plate, and the Aura user repeats the test and the values on the force meter are calculated and compared. This holds true for all replications and all materials, and the data is gathered for future analysis.

When the final results are finally tabulated, the force registered on the force meter is expected to be significantly less than the control test. This means that the Chitin, being the only difference, is absorbing and redistributing this force in other directions, which would prove the potential that the substance is capable of absorbing Aura.


	11. Results & Discussion

**Results & Discussion**

Compression Tests

The data shows the failure point of the material at specific weights. As can be seen there is a very slight decrease in force with the salves compared against the control, but hardly enough to be significant to the test. There is only about 0.01 percent overall difference, which could be explained by noise of the experiment, or by the very slight addition the salve adds to compression by being a material. When it comes to compression, there is very little effect that comes from compression.

Stress Test

The striking test showed a significant increase in durability between the control and the Chitin tests. The values tend to follow the wobbling force gauge closely, but there is a much faster dampening between tests. The initial strike does not cause nearly as much dampening, but over time the Chitin treated plates were shown to have a much more prominent dampening coefficient.

The frosting solution proved the stronger of the two, but the aerosolized paint solution proved to have little effect. Multiple runs of the test shows no significant change in-between runs, which might help to explain a potential uneven distribution inside the paint. This could be either one of two possibilities. Either the particles did not bind to the paint, thus escaping into the air before the experiment took place, or the Chitin cells just could not stand against the toxic elements inside the spray.

To test to see if the fault lies over time, another batch of plates was run with the remaining material. It showed no change in absorption regardless of set up time, and any faster times than were shown on this test would not be feasible for any practical application. It is safe to say that the spray just kills the Chitin cells inside the airtight canister.

This result hints somewhat at the effects Aura pressure might have, and is in fact similar to physical blows that huntsmen might inflict against another human or against a creature of Grimm.

Aura Test

The results exceeded expectations. The Chitin treated plates showed a 50% decrease in overall force pressures from Aura based pressures. Further tests were conducted to see how the materials were reacting to varying Aura pressures, and it was shown that at higher values, the Aura values tended to plateau at around 70% total reduction, or about half the total strength. This is due to the Chitins transfer to be saturated by oncoming Aura, and unable to absorb more. This value increases by 5% for every 20% increase in Chitin concentration.

Similar to the stress tests, the sap proved far more effective than the paint based solution. Based on these results, it might be possible to create a solution that could absorb 80% of the total energy outputted by Aura. If there comes a time where this material can be reconstructed, it could go as far as 90% assuming the substance is pure Chitin. This sizable reduction is backed by the accounts of Huntresses, and fits well with the observed effects of this substance.

Could A Grimm Survive?

The Chitin in this experiment has shown a tremendous property for energy absorption, but the point still stands whether or not it is enough energy for the Grimm to satisfy its needs for power. Thanks to these tests, there is an efficiency term that can be plugged into the required power, and now the equation can be solved based on a averaging of Aura field outputs at various stages. The example provided here goes only for one theoretical case, as the distance, and energy output can vary wildly in realistic scenarios.

The data shows that for a reasonable amount of surrounding wildlife, the faceplate alone might well generate enough for a Grimm to survive on its base nourishment. This suggests that it doesn't use other components as a main source of absorption, although it is possible that the Grimm can absorb through other materials.


	12. Conclusion

**Conclusion**

The results of this experiment speak clearly to the absorption properties of Grimm Chitin on Aura. Estimates put it at 90 percent absorption to dispersed energies, and even a fraction of that can prove to sustain a Grimm in places with even sparse wildlife without resorting to conflict with the local populace.

Of course the limit to working with this material is that the painting method may only go so far in terms of efficiency. The more Chitin is involved in the construction, the more Aura it can absorb and dissipate. By infusing Chitin directly into the materials themselves, more Chitin can be applied in greater densities, which would allow for even more efficient structures. The difficulties lie in ensuring the Grimm cells can survive long term without being destroyed by other factors like lack of food and toxic elements. This looks to be the natural next step in research.

Another branch of research is how the energy propagates after the Aura is absorbed. Learning the method of energy transfer would lead to the harnessing of an energy source that is entirely passive. Chitin cells do not suck the surrounding Aura dry, but instead take what is otherwise wasted. If this process could be mastered, then it can be harnessed to help power cities with just the mere presence of people. Also as the population increases, the Aura will increase, and the power will increase in proportion. This creates a power system that scales with humankind with little need for restructuring.

There is also the matter of studying the properties of the base components other than Chitin. While Chitin was the focus on this research, the other materials might well prove to have properties that might not be possible with the materials that were previously available. It is an entirely new field with endless possibilities, and one that still needs to be probed to the bottom of its depths.


	13. Sources

**Sources**

1) Aegean, George. "Study of Grimm Physiology." By Nathan Beldadus. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Rpt. of "Writings of George Aegean." _Journal of Grimmology_ 1.1 (n.d.): n. pag. _Atlas Institute Database_. Web. 20 June 2012.

2) Bartholomew, Oobleck. "Oobleck Effect." E-mail interview. 05 July 2012.

3) Bismuth, Cadium. _Journals of Cadium Bismuth_. Comp. Rupert T. Abernathy. N.p.: Haven Historical Society, 1995. Print.

4) Bortelo, Flavio. "Grimm Tidings! 10 Great Tips to Prepare for the Grimm Apocalypse!" The

Grimm Is Nigh! Flavio Bortelo, Mar.-Apr. 2012. Web.

5) Griffiths, David J. _Introduction to Electrodynamics_. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1999. Print.

6) Hawthorne, Mary. _Introduction to Aura Principles_. 10th ed. Vol. 3. N.p.: Vacuo, n.d. Print.

7) Hawthorne, Gloria M. _Energy Conversion Process by Chitin Particles_. Thesis. Atlas National Institute, 2013. N.p.: Journal of Grimmology, 2013. Print.

8) Hibbeler, R. C. Mechanics of Materials. 6th ed. Upper Saddle River, 1997. Print.

9) Lavendar, Tobias. _Writings of Tobias Lavendar: The Grimm's Effect on Human History_. 5th ed. Vol. 1. Atlas: Mantle Chronicles, 1950. Print.

10) Montgomery, Douglas C. Design and Analysis of Experiments. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, 2013. Print.

11) Oobleck, Bartholomew. "A Grimm Account: A Hunter's Perspective on Mankinds Most Deadly Foe." Vytal Naturalist 30.6 (2002): 50-165. Print.

12) Schnee, Winter. Dust: The History of the Schnee Company and Its Impact on the World. Atlas: Penguin, 2010. Print.

13) Schnee, Winter. "Grimm Species." Personal interview. 12 Sept. 2012.

14) Spalding, Rudolf. "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them." _Natural Gazette_. Vacuo Publishing, n.d. Web. 19 Aug. 2005.

15) Sigerson, Jane S. "Preservation of Grimm Beyond Death." Journal of Grimmology 34.6 (2010): 168-234. Print.


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